Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City

Cuauhtémoc is one of the boroughs of Mexico City. It is named after Cuauhtémoc, a leader from the 1500s who fought to protect the Aztec people. This area includes the oldest parts of Mexico City and was the whole city center in the 1920s.

Even though it does not have the most people, Cuauhtémoc is very important for the city's economy. About a third of all the work and business in Mexico City happens here. You can find many famous places here, like the Mexican Stock Exchange, the historic center with old buildings, and the busy shopping area called Zona Rosa. There are also tall buildings such as the Torre Mayor and offices for big companies.

Some parts of Cuauhtémoc have had trouble keeping up with growth, but many groups have worked since the 1990s to make the area better. These efforts have helped create nice parks, like the Alameda Central, and made some streets better for walking without cars.

Description

Cuauhtémoc is centered on the Zócalo or main square. This square has the Aztec ruins of the Templo Mayor, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the National Palace of Mexico. The borough covers 32.44 km². It has 34 areas called colonias, 2,627 city blocks, and many green spaces, old buildings, and places to learn about history.

The area has many places to play sports, schools, and centers for the arts. Because it is the oldest part of Mexico City, some buildings can sink into soft soil. Many people come to Cuauhtémoc each day to work, shop, or visit important places, so the streets are often busy.

Demographics

Cuauhtémoc is a key place for jobs and visitors, but it does not have as many residents as other parts of the city. Most people who live here work in services or shops.

Government

The borough was created on December 30, 1970. Today, it is led by a mayor.

Colonias

These are the colonias and neighborhoods in Cuauhtémoc:

Colonia Centro • Colonia Doctores • Colonia Obrera • Tepito • Colonia Algarín • Colonia Ampliación Asturias • Colonia Asturias • Colonia Atlampa • Colonia Buenavista • Colonia Buenos Aires • Centro Urbano Benito Juárez • Colonia Condesa • Colonia Cuauhtémoc • Colonia Esperanza • Colonia Exhipódromo de Peralvillo • Colonia Felipe Pescador • Colonia Guerrero • Colonia Hipódromo • Colonia Hipódromo Condesa • Colonia Juárez • Colonia Maza • Colonia Morelos • Colonia Paulino Navarro • Colonia Peralvillo • Colonia Roma • Colonia San Rafael • Colonia San Simón Tolnahuac • Colonia Santa María Insurgentes • Colonia Santa María la Ribera • Unidad Habitacional Nonoalco-Tlatelolco • Colonia Tabacalera • Colonia Tránsito • Colonia Valle Gómez • Colonia Vista Alegre • Zona Rosa

History

Main article: Tenochtitlan § History

The history of Cuauhtémoc starts with the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. This city was built on a marshy island in Lake Texcoco. It had four neighborhoods, with the important Templo Mayor temple in the center. Today, the ruins of this temple are near the main square, called the Zocalo.

When the Spanish arrived in 1521, they conquered Tenochtitlan and built a new city over the old one. They kept the city's layout but replaced Aztec buildings with European-style ones. Important buildings like the cathedral and the National Palace were built where old Aztec temples and palaces once stood. Over time, the city grew with many mansions, churches, and public buildings, earning the nickname "City of Palaces."

After Mexico won its independence in 1824, Mexico City became the country's capital. In 1928, the city was divided into boroughs, and the historic center became the Cuauhtémoc borough. In 1985, a big earthquake caused many buildings to collapse, especially in the historic center and nearby areas. Efforts to renew the area began in the late 1990s, with money spent on fixing old buildings and improving streets. Today, the area is safer and more attractive to visitors, though some problems remain.

Economy

Cuauhtémoc is very important for Mexico City's economy. It makes more than a third of the city's money and has one of the biggest economies in Mexico. Most jobs here are in selling things and helping people with services. The area has many important government offices, especially in places called Colonia Tabacalera and Colonia Doctores.

One of the busiest streets, Paseo de la Reforma, has tall, modern buildings like Torre Reforma and Torre Mayor. This street has offices, homes, and Mexico's stock market. Traditional markets are also important, like La Lagunilla Market, where people buy food, shoes, and other everyday things. Tourism is big here too, with famous places like the historic center and Zona Rosa bringing many visitors. The area also has many hotels and important government buildings.

Transportation

The borough has many roads, with lots of streets and intersections. Most streets are for residents, but there are three expressways and special roads to help traffic in the city center.

The three most important roads are the Circuito Interior, Viaducto Miguel Alemán, and San Antonio Abad. The Circuito Interior is a circular road around the city. The special roads were built in the 1980s to help cars travel easier. The largest is the Eje Central, which splits the historic center. Many people visit this area, so up to 800,000 vehicles use these streets each day, which can cause traffic jams.

A popular way to get around the historic center is by bicitaxi, a type of bike taxi.

The borough has many Metro lines, including Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Line 5, Line 8, Line 9, and Line B. There are also trolleybus lines, Metrobus Lines 1 and 3, and many bus routes. The Tren Suburbano commuter railway starts in Colonia Buenavista and goes north to Cuautitlán in the State of Mexico.

Chapultepec Sevilla Insurgentes Cuauhtémoc Balderas Salto del Agua Isabel La Católica Pino Suárez

San Cosme Revolución Hidalgo Bellas Artes Allende Zócalo San Antonio Abad Chabacano

Tlatelolco Guerrero Juárez Niños Héroes Hospital General Centro Médico Misterios Garibaldi / Lagunilla

San Juan de Letrán Doctores Obrera Patriotismo Chilpancingo Lázaro Cárdenas Tepito Lagunilla Buenavista

Circuito San Simón Manuel González Buenavista El Chopo Revolución Plaza de la República Reforma (connected through both Reforma and París ) Hamburgo Glorieta de los Insurgentes Durango Álvaro Obregón Sonora Campeche Chilpancingo Nuevo León Viaducto

De La Salle Tolnáhuac Tlatelolco Ricardo Flores Magón Guerrero Mina Hidalgo El Caballito (connected through Hidalgo ) Juárez Balderas Cuauhtémoc Jardín Pushkin Hospital General Dr. Márquez Centro Médico Delegación Cuauhtémoc Puente de Alvarado

Museo San Carlos Bellas Artes Teatro Blanquita República de Chile República de Argentina Mercado Abelardo L. Rodríguez Mixcalco Plaza de la República Glorieta de Colón Expo Reforma República de Argentina Mercado Abelardo L. Rodríguez Plaza de la República Glorieta de Colón Expo Reforma Vocacional 5 Plaza San Juan

Eje Central El Salvador Isabel la Católica Museo de la Ciudad Pino Suárez Las Cruces Norte Las Cruces Sur Mercado Ampudia Chapultepec La Diana El Ángel La Palma Glorieta Violeta Garibaldi Glorieta Cuitláhuac Tres Culturas Mercado Beethoven Misterios

Education

In the 2007–2008 school year, the Cuauhtémoc area had many students in school, from kindergarten to high school. Most students went to public schools.

There were many schools, including preschools, middle schools, high schools, and teachers’ colleges. The area had fewer people who could not read or write and more students who finished school. This was partly because there were more private schools.

In 2009, some students got extra help at school. Almost all of these students went to public schools. There were not many places for adults to learn, especially those who did not speak Spanish well.

Some well-known private schools include:

• Plantel Azahares of the Sistema Educativo Justo Sierra
• Colegio Amado Nervo in Colonia Roma Sur
• Colegio Liceo Mexicano, a private elementary school (Colonia Roma)

Climate

The climate of Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, is typical for the area. It has warm temperatures and both dry and wet seasons. This climate helps plants grow and affects how people live there.

International relations

The U.S. Embassy, the British Embassy, and the Japanese Embassy are in Colonia Cuauhtémoc in Cuauhtémoc.

Cuauhtémoc has a friendly link with Seocho in South Korea. This began in 2020.